My Absolute Boyfriend: Episodes 29-30

The problem with having a lovebot as a boyfriend is the high expectations, especially when you’ve been disappointed by love in the past. A robot just can’t love like a human, and everyone in her life tries to warn our heroine that she’s heading down a dangerous path.

EPISODES 29-30 RECAP

While doing Young-gu’s makeup for today’s scenes, Kyu-ri mentions how much Da-da loved Wang-joon while they were together. Young-gu feels something seize in his chest, then he completely locks up and goes unresponsive. Kyu-ri thinks he’s playing a joke, but when Da-da walks in, she panics.

She sends Yoo-jin for Bo-won, who returns with Young-gu’s tablet and soon has him back in working order. Unfortunately Kyu-ri, Yoo-jin, and Yeo-woong all witnessed the repair, so Da-da has no choice but to tell them that Young-gu is a robot. She asks them to help her protect Young-gu’s secret in case something like this happens again.

Bo-won informs Director Go that a few more people learned about Young-gu because he ran his pause safeguard in front of them. That’s only supposed to happen in dangerous situations, but Bo-won says it was just an error. Director Go grows worried about the possibility of a meltdown and instructs Bo-won to keep a close eye on Young-gu’s emotions.

The Real team gather at Da-da’s house that evening. Yoo-jin is fascinated by how Young-gu works, but Bo-won won’t let Young-gu reveal any company secrets. Kyu-ri leans close to Bo-won (nearly giving him a heart attack), wondering if he’s a robot too, and he giggles that he’s human.

Da-da passes out next week’s drama projects, and on the way out, Kyu-ri notices Young-gu’s Love Room. She stays to talk to Da-da, saying that she understands that she’s dating a robot because Wang-joon hurt her, but she doesn’t think it’s right. She accuses Da-da of expecting a perfect love, but says that such a thing doesn’t exist, and that getting hurt and moving on is how you grow.

Young-gu listens as Kyu-ri tells Da-da that she’s just avoiding reality, and it makes him feel terrible. But he says to Da-da later that he feels more comfortable now that more people know about him. He can see that Da-da is worried and he asks if it’s because of what Kyu-ri said. Da-da doesn’t answer, she just says she has a headache and goes to bed. She knocks her Young-gu doll onto the floor and just leaves it there, frustrated.

Wang-joon comes to the studio in the morning to warn Da-da that reporters are waiting around the corner to ambush her. She’s annoyed with him, since it’s his fault, but he just pulls her along with him.

On set, Kyu-ri gives Bo-won the stink-eye, demanding to know if there’s anything else he’s hiding. She gets in his face again but he just stammers that there aren’t anymore secrets. Kyu-ri orders him to get her coffee as punishment for lying, but Yeo-woong snaps at Kyu-ri to get her own coffee instead of treating Bo-won like a slave.

Poor Bo-won doesn’t know which of the ladies to obey. Kyu-ri asks Yeo-woong why she even cares since she’s not a member of their team, and Yeo-woong says bluntly, “Because I like Bo-won, and I can’t stand seeing you treat the guy I like as a minion.” Welp, that answers that.

While Da-da preps to do Wang-joon’s makeup, he thanks her for exposing Hwa-ni’s tricks and asks if she was worried about him. Da-da says it was because Wang-joon saved her from Zero-Ten, and Wang-joon finishes, “… because I like you.” With an annoyed sigh, Da-da packs up and tells Da-da to have Kyu-ri do his makeup.

Wang-joon brings up the fact that more people know about Young-gu and asks Da-da if they’re supportive of their relationship. Da-da says that majority opinion isn’t always correct, but Wang-joon argues that there’s a reason it’s the majority opinion. He asks Da-da to think carefully, and says that he’ll always be there for her to come back to.

Da-da runs into Yeo-woong on her way out of the dressing room and asks her if she’s against her dating Young-gu. Yeo-woong says she has no problem with the fact that he’s a robot – her reservations are because initially, she was glad to hear that Da-da was dating a regular guy. But now she knows that Young-gu isn’t a regular guy, and that he’s just another secret that Da-da has to keep. She tells Da-da sweetly that she just wants her to have a normal relationship.

Da-da thinks about the things Wang-joon, Kyu-ri, and Yeo-woong have said about her relationship with Young-gu, knowing that they’re right — Young-gu will never be a normal man who ages and changes with her, and there’s no guarantee that she won’t be hurt. She remembers how her dad used to listen to the song “Unforgettable” over and over again because it reminded him of her mother.

She had asked him if he regretted loving and marrying a woman who’d been sick from the day they’d met. He’d said that he didn’t, because he was the only person her mother ever loved, and that the chances of receiving that kind of love for your entire life are as rare as her growing up to be a special effects artist like him.

As she’s thinking, Da-da overhears a couple talking about some guy who’s lying in the middle of the road nearby. She gets a bad feeling and runs towards home, but the guy turns out to be someone she doesn’t know. Young-gu is out looking for her, and Da-da bursts into tears, sobbing that she thought something had happened to him.

Young-gu tells her that he’s not going anywhere, and will stay and love her forever. Da-da says that her father told her to find someone who would stay by her side and love her, like Young-gu does.

She says, “You may be a robot… no, since you are who you are, that’s why I love you.” Young-gu whispers that he loves her, too, and Da-da pulls him down for a kiss. He doesn’t respond, so Da-da backs up, looking disappointed. But once he gets over the shock, Young-gu kisses her again, and this time he means it.

When they get home, Da-da barely makes it to her room before breaking into a fit of the giggles. She’s happy to see that her Young-gu doll is back on her bed, his lights working again. Young-gu spends the night in his Love Room, grinning happily to himself.

In the morning, Young-gu tells Bo-won that the whirring in his chest stopped last night. Bo-won checks the tablet and sees that Young-gu’s diagnostics are indeed back to normal. Young-gu tells him that last night, he became certain about the relationship between him and Da-da, so he’s not scared anymore.

They all head to work, and Da-da asks Young-gu to go on an official date with her later. After the filming, Da-da and the Real team plan to meet at her studio to travel to tomorrow’s countryside filming location, and when she says she’ll get everything ready herself, Yoo-jin and Kyu-ri figure out that she has a date tonight. Kyu-ri objects loud enough for Young-gu to hear her from the hall, but when Da-da joins him, he doesn’t mention it.

They go to a movie, and Young-gu grows noticeably nervous during a hot-and-heavy scene, but he says adorably that this is his “R-rated movie mode,” hee. Afterward they play games at an arcade, Young-gu’s robot reflexes making him good at just about everything.

Yeo-woong brings Wang-joon a suitcase for the out-of-town shoot tomorrow, and he’s lowkey scared to see her wearing a pretty dress and even earrings. She grumbles that she just wanted to look nice for someone, but Wang-joon tells her to give up before she gets hurt like he’s been hurt.

The cast and crew go to the seaside to film, and Yeo-woong preens when Bo-won says she looks different… until he chirps that her face looks really puffy. Ugh, someone smack him, please.

Wang-joon and Ruby (his costar) film a scene in which he fights off a trio of attackers, only for her to die in his arms. When they wrap for the day, Wang-joon watches jealously as Da-da praises Young-gu for his work as one of the attackers. They’ve even finished filming early so they have tomorrow free, so Kyu-ri wants to stay for a mini-vacation.

Wang-joon rents a really nice villa nearby where the Real team can stay. Kyu-ri has an ulterior motive when she tells Wang-joon and Da-da to stay and rest while the others all go shopping for food and drinks, leaving them alone together. Wang-joon tells Da-da that he didn’t do this for her — he did it because he’s genuinely grateful to her team, and to help Yeo-woong with her one-sided love.

Wang-joon says that this place reminds him of their first beach trip back before he was famous. They remember things like how they missed their train because Wang-joon couldn’t decide what to wear, and how Da-da didn’t speak to Wang-joon for a whole day after she lost a card game and he flicked her forehead.

Growing serious, Wang-joon asks if they can ever go back to how they were then. He says that he’s realized what’s important and what can’t be replaced.

After shopping for food, Kyu-ri stalls for more time by insisting they visit the ocean before returning to the villa. She’s pretty obvious about it until eventually Yoo-jin calls her out, and a worried Young-gu runs back to the villa alone. When he gets there, Wang-joon and Da-da are in their own rooms, making Young-gu look silly for his concern.

Over dinner later, Yeo-woong gets annoyed with the way Bo-won stares at Kyu-ri, so when Wang-joon goes for a walk, Yeo-woong goes with him. Kyu-ri sends Da-da for more beer, then grills Young-gu on what exactly happens in Da-da’s house when the two of them are alone. Yoo-jin angrily informs her that Da-da and Young-gu have separate rooms, which Kyu-ri interprets to mean that Da-da isn’t completely into Young-gu yet.

When Da-da returns, she and Young-gu go to sit and look at the ocean together. Da-da says that she’d decided love didn’t exist, but then Young-gu taught her that it does, and turned her life into a fairy tale. Young-gu thanks Da-da for teaching him how to feel so many different emotions.

Wang-joon notices Da-da and Young-gu together and thinks back to this afternoon, when he’d asked Da-da if they could go back to how they were. She’d said that he’s only acting this way because he feels guilty, but that she’d been very happy when they were together.

Now he smiles and says that Da-da looks very pretty when she laughs like that. Yeo-woong tells Wang-joon that she laughed like that when she was with him, too, but he was just too busy to notice.

Back at the table, Kyu-ri’s had a few too many and she starts to sob that everyone is dating but her. Bo-won says that he’s always been single, and that the last girl he loved was his friend back in kindergarten. Kyu-ri vows to stop judging men by their looks and start judging them by their hearts.

The three singles clink beers, and Bo-won’s sprays all over his shirt. He stands to take it off, revealing quite an impressive set of abs (and pecs, and arms and… damn). Kyu-ri can’t look away, and when Yoo-jin reminds her that she just said she’d stop judging men by their looks, she completely ignores him.

Hearing the noise, Da-da heads back to the villa to check up on everyone. Wang-joon approaches Young-gu and admits that he’s lost, and that maybe he was never going to win against a robot made to love. He says that he hopes Da-da is always happy like she was today, but that if Young-gu ever makes her cry, he’ll be right there to take her back. Young-gu promises that that will never happen.

Still drunk, Kyu-ri slurs to Bo-won that she’s decided he’s not so bad. Bo-won is sobering up and says they should go inside, and Kyu-ri assumes he’s trying to seduce her. He says there’s someone he can’t stop thinking about, and Kyu-ri grabs his face to kiss him.

Yeo-woong, who was nearby, hurries away, telling herself to let Bo-won go. But Bo-won follows her, saying that he’s been worried about her wandering around outside. She tells him to stop confusing her, and that she saw him with Kyu-ri, so she’s giving up on him. Bo-won says that he’s not confused anymore, and we see that he refused Kyu-ri’s kiss.

He tells Yeo-woong that she’s the one he can’t stop thinking about. Yeo-woong sobs that he said he likes pretty women, and he says that’s true — and that she’s pretty. She yanks him in for a hug, and he smiles as she squishes him.

At Kronos Heaven, Director Go receives a report on Young-gu’s data, which shows some very dangerous numbers. He tries to call Bo-won, who doesn’t answer, as In-hyuk watches him surreptitiously.

When they’re back in the city, Bo-won walks Yeo-woong home, and is excited to learn that she owns her own home in a nice neighborhood. He finally checks his phone and sees over twenty missed calls from Director Go.

Young-gu feeds Da-da then sends her off to bed, but she stops and asks him nervously if he wants to sleep with her tonight. As they lie in bed looking at each other later, Young-gu asks if this is what true love and happiness feel like, and Da-da admits that she feels the same way. They make plans to have a picnic together tomorrow and take a lot of pictures, since they don’t have any of them together.

When Da-da wakes up in the morning, Young-gu is still watching her, since he doesn’t need to sleep. He says it was the happiest night of his life, and Da-da says that this is her happiest morning. Young-gu gets up to prepare for their picnic, but something goes wrong, and he falls to his knees, knocking Da-da’s Young-gu doll off the table and breaking it.

Bo-won stops by Kronos Heaven, where Director Go says that they need to retrieve Young-gu immediately. He shows Bo-won the report and says that a robot with emotions is more dangerous than they thought. Bo-won asks what will happen to Young-gu, and Director Go says that the more he gains human emotions, and the more he loves Da-da, the more fragile he’ll become until he eventually melts down.

As Da-da watches in shock, Young-gu slowly slumps to the floor, and his eyes close.

COMMENTS

I’m feeling very conflicted about this episode, because Young-gu and Da-da are very together, and I enjoyed seeing them finally acting like a real couple, I feel like it took them way too long. I’ve been wondering why I couldn’t connect to Da-da and Young-gu’s romance, and it’s so obvious I’m embarrassed that it took me this long. It’s because they kept saying they care for each other, but we haven’t actually seen it. Aside from Young-gu looking at Da-da longingly, he hasn’t done anything for her or behaved in any way like a boyfriend ever since her decision to date him, despite it literally being his reason for existing. And Da-da also says she has feelings for Young-gu, but I’ve seen nothing to convince me.

In the beginning, Young-gu did act like a boyfriend — even if it was all programming, he was attentive, caring, and occasionally got a little handsy, just like an actual boyfriend would do. But as soon as they became a real item, all that stopped. Until this episode Young-gu and Da-da didn’t go on dates, they didn’t spend time together, they didn’t kiss or hold hands or even touch each other. Young-gu spent more time trying to be physically affectionate before they were technically a couple than he did after Da-da said she wanted to date him, so what little chemistry there was between them totally fizzled out. Now they’re finally doing those things, but it feels like too little, too late.

With that in mind, I wish we’d seen that scene between young Da-da and her father much sooner, because it explains a lot about why Da-da stayed with Wang-joon for so long, and why she’s clinging to Young-gu now. No doubt she’d seen Wang-joon as her chance to be loved the same way her father was loved by her mother, which is probably why she put up with so much for so long. But when she met Young-gu, she transferred that hope to him, believing that he would be able to give her that singular, unchanging love for her whole life, something her father was only able to have for a short time. And she may be happy now, but I’m worried that it’s not going to last. Sadly, I feel as though the show is preparing us for the eventual loss of Young-gu one way or another, because he’s cute and sweet but Da-da’s friends are correct — the way to handle fear of loss or rejection isn’t to pair up with a robot, but to face your fears and learn from them.

I still think the show is cute and I would still watch it if I weren’t recapping it… and let’s face it, the previous drama adaptations were mostly silly bits of fluff. I think that I just had higher expectations from a Korean remake, since (in my opinion) Korean dramas tend to be more thoughtful and generally tackle difficult issues while telling a story. My Absolute Boyfriend clearly started out with that intent, and I was looking forward to exploring those issues, but it feels like the show forgot what it was trying to say somewhere along the way. The problems I thought it was setting up to tackle have just been dropped, and others have been raised along the way that seem to have come out of nowhere. I’m still hanging in there in case I’m surprised, but for now, I’m just going to try to let go of my disappointment and enjoy the rest of the story without any higher expectations.

July 16, 2019 at 8:27 AM

July 16, 2019 at 10:14 AM

UNREGISTERED

@outofthisworld I love fast playing. I watch most things x1.3 speed and only slow down if they are speaking fast and I can't catch up with the subs or if it is a scene I am particularly interested in. I watch a 2 hr episode usually in about 40 minutes. I got so used to it that when I watch it real time things look very slow to me. 🤣

July 15, 2019 at 2:18 PM

UNREGISTERED

Wang Joon is still warning Da Da about all the problems that come from dating a robot but who will listen to him due to his perceived self interest? So it’s good that finally others have learned and someone besides Wang Joon spoke sense. Bravo Kyu Ri. And manager Yeo Woong pointed to an aspect I haven’t even thought of. But I also don’t want this to turn into a “the whole world is against our great love” kind of thing as I saw no evidence of such great love.

I found Da Da’s self justification through her dad’s memory stupid. Yes Wang Joon didn’t only focus on Da Da (and that’s obsession rather than love anyway, not a healthy relationship) but he only ever loved Da Da as far as we saw.

I can’t believe this drama started making me dislike Da Da’s character. I don’t want Wang Joon with Da Da anymore because Da Da isn’t the same Da Da he loved. This Da Da doesn’t have an ounce of romantic feelings left for Wang Joon and would only ever be with him if she can’t have what she really wants. Wang Joon deserves better. Unfortunately I don’t care what happens to Da Da anymore. She is getting more and more ridiculous. I can’t believe she said to Young Gu “To be honest, I didn't think love existed in this world. But... you let me know. Love really does exist.” I mean seriously. Does the writer think this rubbish will make us buy into their romance? Isn’t this a betrayal of Da Da’s character and her 7 year love for Wang Joon?

‘’I may have been destined to lose from the very beginning. You're a robot that was made to love. How is a human supposed to beat that?’ Truer words have never been spoken Wang Joon. As Kyu Ri said with someone like Da Da who expects “perfect love”, someone that will only ever focus on her nothing but a robot would do. So yes, she deserves a robot and a robotic version of stagnant love and I wish her well with that hollow love.

Bo Won’s love triangle is turning out to be more entertaining than Da Da’s. Wang Joon was really sweet trying to help his noona’s love but I don’t want her with Bo Won either. Bo Won’s treatment of her wasn’t any better than Kyu Ri’s treatment of Bo Won and I haven't forgotten it.

Is Young Gu now running on Da Da’s love that a kiss brings him back to normal?

July 15, 2019 at 10:40 PM

UNREGISTERED

Your statement: "I found Da Da’s self justification through her dad’s memory stupid.."
My exact thoughts.
That girl is so dumb it looks like she should end up with a robot - oh, wait, that's what you said in your next paragraph.

July 15, 2019 at 10:48 PM

UNREGISTERED

I can’t believe she said to Young Gu “To be honest, I didn't think love existed in this world. But... you let me know. Love really does exist.”

THIS! I can’t believe she said that. So those 7 years meant nothing to her? This totally came across as lying sweet talk that guys pull to get laid. I was trying to keep myself from disliking Da Da (besides being boring because the character frowns 90% of the time) but this was the last straw. MWJ didn’t become a Hallyu star from the day they dated so their earlier years weren’t all about him being too busy to love her. And besides being busy with legit work, he really did love JUST her. So I think this woman is just too needy and greedy. That’s why she needs a love robot that doesn’t have work or family and can offer cuddles 24/7. On top of that, she needed so much cuddle time that she broke him.

July 16, 2019 at 2:35 PM

July 16, 2019 at 8:50 AM

UNREGISTERED

This is why I abandoned Wang Joon-Da Da ship weeks ago. I was for Da Da and Young Gu because they matched each other so well.

Wang Joon deserves a girl who loves him because whatever wrong he did to Da Da, he had repented and tried to make up for it even though some didn't come off well. If anything, the show has shown us that he truly loves Da Da. Isn't it strange that the message is that Young Gu's love is superior to Wang Joon's although he did practically nothing except what he has been programmed to?

July 16, 2019 at 9:11 AM

UNREGISTERED

I doubt Da Da ever loved Wang Joon. From her memory of her dad's words, it's apparent that she had a fixed idea of 'perfect love' or 'one that last forever'. It's not wrong for a woman to wish for any of this but to love a machine because it's the only thing that can meet her requirements of love is madness. From all that has happened, I'd say that Wang Joon loved Da Da more than Da Da loved Wang Joon.

At this stage, it's clear that the Da Da and Young Gu's romance hasn't got a leg to stand on. But since the focus is back on the couple, there's a lot more lovey dovey scenes of them. Sadly, there is zero chemistry between Min Ah and YJG. I am not sure if I am projecting my frustration on the character of Da Da on Min Ah because she's simply not working for me. When Da Da was giggly in love or saying cheesy lines, I found it so fake. It doesn't help that YJG's expressions of being in love is limited to big wide smiles and nodding to whatever Da Da says. I want to ban nodding in dramas and limit it to 3 year olds and below.

July 16, 2019 at 3:36 PM

UNREGISTERED

Totally agree. I can barely stand to watch Da Da anymore, because it is the deadly combo of 1) having issues with the acting ability/way the character is portrayed and 2) really disliking the behavior and motivations of the person we are meant to somehow admire. In a way this show reminds me of Scarlet Heart:Ryeo because I hated the way the heroine was acted, I disliked the way she treated people and I disagreed with her terrible decisions, and I felt truly sorry for the men who has the misfortune to fall for her.

July 22, 2019 at 11:58 AM

UNREGISTERED

@skelly,
I agree with you about SCARRED HEART. I had the same issues with the female lead, and couldn't have said it better. Wang So and his brothers deserved better. And so does Young-gu. He should be liberated from Da-da's dead clutches and given a hard reboot to save his circuits. Grrr.

July 18, 2019 at 1:18 AM

July 22, 2019 at 11:08 AM

UNREGISTERED

Thank you, @lollypip, for continuing to seek out and amplify the thoughtful bits that are parsimoniously sprinkled throughout MY ABSOLUTE BOYFRIEND. You are relentless in your positivity, and I mean that as a compliment. ;-)

It has taken me a while to return to the recaps after NOKDU FLOWER's finale, which only exacerbated this drama's missed opportunities and self-inflicted shortcomings. I realize that the genres are radically different, but that's not what sets them apart. It is the mindfulness with which the one was conceived and executed. There's no reason for a rom-com to be made with any less care or consideration simply because it is intended as light entertainment versus a serious examination of history. All I can think is that the stars in the heavens were in an uproar when this project came into being.

Interestingly, MAB is the second remake to air this year that fell flat (to me), the first being CROWNED CLOWN, the drama adaptation of the beloved sageuk film MASQUERADE. I got the sense that CROWNED CLOWN was trying to do something radically different from the original movie, but went about it in a way that painted itself into a corner that ultimately made it impossible to buy into, at least in the mind of this sageuk fan. Even so, it had its moments, gorgeous cinematography, and some excellent performances, so it partially succeeded. But I digress...

Robo-geek Bo-won rebuffs the obnoxious and inebriated Kyu-ri and tells Yeo-woong that he thinks she's pretty. We'll see how long that lasts as the nerdy obliviousness is strong in this one. Dude sends too many mixed messages. Does he really like her, or what?

Thanks for that screencap of Choi Sung-won, who seems to be starring in his own segment, "My ABSolute Geek." Seriously, he looks well and fit after having had to drop out of MIRROR OF THE WITCH shortly after its premiere because of a life-threatening illness. I'm truly happy to see him back in action. Shoot, he's been busy indeed since then -- but this is the first role I've seen him in since MOTW.

Kyu-ri's deviousness and grating "bonhomie" at the beach made me want to smack her in this episode. She speaks the truth like a loyal friend, only to undercut it later with her machinations. She should speak her piece and then leave Da-da to make her own crappy decisions. Oh, right. Da-da is such a sad sack, she simply cannot be trusted to do the right thing on her own...

You bring up a good point about the flashback to Dad talking about Mom. That scene left me with the uneasy feeling that Mom "loved" him only because he was the only game in town. His definition of "lover" sounds more like "hostage," which isn't the first time we've heard that kind of thing in this show. Just think of Diana's control freakery over her employees and toys, and even the fact that Young-gu has been designed and programmed to simulate "love" because, as a machine, he lacks a soul and free will. Da-da has...

July 22, 2019 at 11:35 AM

UNREGISTERED

Part 2 of 2

... Da-da has seriously warped expectations about love because of her family of origin. What a mess. This is punching my buttons, as I'm also watching Taiwanese potboiler BEFORE WE GET MARRIED, in which the male lead's control freak fiancee sticks to him like a leech and refuses to acknowledge that he no longer loves her. The female lead is a doormat who goes along with her long-term boyfriend's plans for the future that he unilaterally cooks up without any input (or fuss) from her. Over in LOVE AFFAIRS IN THE AFTERNOON, another depressive female lead settles for marriage with her first love, who pays more attention to his parakeets than to her. Shoot, another digression...

You brought up a good point about the OTP's romance being all talk and no action. Actually, I think it's brilliant. It perfectly simulates the storied loss of effort that often sets in once the hunt is over and the prey has been bagged. ;-)

I feel bad for Young-gu. It's not his fault that his circuits are overloading. He's been exposed to such mean-spirited gossip that his little chips are melting. Bah! Humbug!

What really set Zero-Nine on the road to destruction was Da-da's refusal to reciprocate his affections. It’s ironic that the only character in this show who is dying of a broken heart is the one who doesn’t have one. The emotional deprivation and abuse he has been subjected to is tearing him apart. The feedback loop that’s supposed to train his AI is pounding him with a sledgehammer. Way to go, Bo-won. Is it too late to install a fail-safe to abort the feedback loop when it becomes destructive? Oh, right...